Billy Connelly
Discussion
jsf said:
Love Billy, always have. His travel programs are super viewing too.
I would love to spend some time chatting to Billy, a genuinely interesting guy.
He has done rather splendidly for a welder from the shipyards of Glasgow.
Sadly he now has Parkinsons, so not as able bodied, but what a super guy.
OP, you should watch some of his work, he is superb. Those old celebrity audience programs were always awful, that's a really dated program and under restrictions that don't suit Billy's style of humour and discussion.
Totally agree with this.I would love to spend some time chatting to Billy, a genuinely interesting guy.
He has done rather splendidly for a welder from the shipyards of Glasgow.
Sadly he now has Parkinsons, so not as able bodied, but what a super guy.
OP, you should watch some of his work, he is superb. Those old celebrity audience programs were always awful, that's a really dated program and under restrictions that don't suit Billy's style of humour and discussion.
A great comedian of his time (look at his peers tonget some perspective) and has gone on to make some great travel programs. In those he comes across as a very down to earth, likeable bloke.
He is one of the best; but my family are from Glasgow so maybe that's something to do with it. Incidentally OP, you are watching a 32 year old show so some of the humour is going to have moved on from then.
Billy was the first comedian I ever went to see live, and as it happened I saw him twice in one week as my Grandad was unable to make it to the first show so I went with him for the second one. I was in tears during the first show; a brilliant story teller and quick wit. Then, 3 days later, I saw him do exactly the same show and whilst I enjoyed it, it was the first time I realised that a comedian works to a script, even down to the apparent 'off-the-cuff' look/feel to their material. It was great seeing him again, but to see THE EXACT same show was a bit odd to me at the time.
Billy was the first comedian I ever went to see live, and as it happened I saw him twice in one week as my Grandad was unable to make it to the first show so I went with him for the second one. I was in tears during the first show; a brilliant story teller and quick wit. Then, 3 days later, I saw him do exactly the same show and whilst I enjoyed it, it was the first time I realised that a comedian works to a script, even down to the apparent 'off-the-cuff' look/feel to their material. It was great seeing him again, but to see THE EXACT same show was a bit odd to me at the time.
I'm strongly in the pro-Connolly camp here. His observations on everyday situations are wonderful, he comes across as a genuinely caring and interesting guy in his many documentaries and he loves people. I'd love to meet him.
Humour, like many things in life, is a personal thing. The variety of responses on this thread shows this. I can't stand Mrs Brown's Boys - inane, predictable and childish crap IMO - as is Miranda. Jim Davidson (remember him?) is awful; so are David Walliams, Matt Lucas and Lennie Henry. But doubtless many PHers will find them hilarious.
Who amuses you then OP?
Humour, like many things in life, is a personal thing. The variety of responses on this thread shows this. I can't stand Mrs Brown's Boys - inane, predictable and childish crap IMO - as is Miranda. Jim Davidson (remember him?) is awful; so are David Walliams, Matt Lucas and Lennie Henry. But doubtless many PHers will find them hilarious.
Who amuses you then OP?
He was a true comedy pioneering comedian in his time. Far more typical of comedians ion the mid 1970s were Bernard Manning, Charlie Williams, Kenny Goodwin, Colin Crompton et al - each with a constant litany of Irish, Pakkie, mother in law jokes etc.
Connolly was so different. In many ways. He was the pioneer of what came to be called "Alternative Comedy". By "alternative", they meant alternative to the likes of Bernard Manning.
If you want to see the landscape of the period in which he first achieved fame, have a look at some of the other stand up comics of the 1970s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra96Q4_qlHI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-KrzEeh5R4
Connolly was so different. In many ways. He was the pioneer of what came to be called "Alternative Comedy". By "alternative", they meant alternative to the likes of Bernard Manning.
If you want to see the landscape of the period in which he first achieved fame, have a look at some of the other stand up comics of the 1970s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra96Q4_qlHI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-KrzEeh5R4
Escort3500 said:
Who amuses you then OP?
It's a common theme across a lot of social media that those who post stuff like this about film (James Bond = cack), music (Oasis - total cack) comedy (Michael McIntyre - utter cack), etc. never seem to be able to bring themselves to say who they do find amusing/cool/inspiring/moving. To busy trying to be "controversial" or "hip" to stick their heads above the parapet.I remember watching the "Audience with BC" back in the day and oddly it was one of the first show I videoed (on my Betamax recorded - yes it was me who bought one!) and playing it till I could repeat it. I recall a pal watching it and quite literally falling off the chair laughing at it. As said it has dated but to those who get the cultural references it is still funny. Each to their own. But Billy comes across as a true gentleman and the stories you hear about him tend to confirm this.
His 'Jojoba shampoo' routine was probably the most I have ever laughed at TV in my life. That and Bill Baily's 'laminated book of dreams'.
On form they are both stunning performers.
Comedy is a strange thing though, I hear some people actually laugh at Mrs Brown's Boys. Weird.
All a matter of taste I guess.
On form they are both stunning performers.
Comedy is a strange thing though, I hear some people actually laugh at Mrs Brown's Boys. Weird.
All a matter of taste I guess.
GetCarter said:
His 'Jojoba shampoo' routine was probably the most I have ever laughed at TV in my life. That and Bill Baily's 'laminated book of dreams'.
On form they are both stunning performers.
Comedy is a strange thing though, I hear some people actually laugh at Mrs Brown's Boys. Weird.
All a matter of taste I guess.
Just reading that line had me laughing out loud in my studio.On form they are both stunning performers.
Comedy is a strange thing though, I hear some people actually laugh at Mrs Brown's Boys. Weird.
All a matter of taste I guess.
Rick_1138 said:
Just reading that line had me laughing out loud in my studio.
A bit of it:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggOa9aSG-Ow
GetCarter said:
Comedy is a strange thing though, I hear some people actually laugh at Mrs Brown's Boys. Weird.
All a matter of taste I guess.
Indeed. despite its runaway success i have never got why a man dressed up as an old battleaxe woman saying "fecking this and fecking that" every 2 minutes is really that funny at all........terrible show IMHO. although the animated Mrs Brown laughing at the end of the closing credits always makes me smile. All a matter of taste I guess.
An Audience With....made me realise how much I love comedy, Billy is a genius, his recent documentary was poignant, sad but extremely funny and his comedy has change a lot since his diagnosis of Parkinson's...( I've always thought it somewhat ironic that he's has that particular disease) one of the greats.
I said before that "An Audience With" always made me cry when I watched it, well I just watched "Billy Connolly: Portrait of a Life" and it brought a tear to my eye again, but sadness this time as you realise that Billy is entering the last phase of his life.
Truly a unique talent and he'll be sadly missed when he's gone, but thankfully he will have left an incredible recorded legacy.
Truly a unique talent and he'll be sadly missed when he's gone, but thankfully he will have left an incredible recorded legacy.
Le Vette said:
I said before that "An Audience With" always made me cry when I watched it, well I just watched "Billy Connolly: Portrait of a Life" and it brought a tear to my eye again, but sadness this time as you realise that Billy is entering the last phase of his life.
Truly a unique talent and he'll be sadly missed when he's gone, but thankfully he will have left an incredible recorded legacy.
'Last phase'? Tell him that I can imagine his reaction - two words containg three Fs!Truly a unique talent and he'll be sadly missed when he's gone, but thankfully he will have left an incredible recorded legacy.
A genius IMO - I am slightly biased though,
I remember him saying when he first went to work at a Shipyard, he wanted to be an Electrician, but ended up as a Welder as he joined the wrong queue (or something similar). Changed days indeed.
His early work was utter genius, The Crucifixion for example.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WgXPBDrd8s&t=...
He also played in The Humblebums with Gerry Rafferty early on.
I remember him saying when he first went to work at a Shipyard, he wanted to be an Electrician, but ended up as a Welder as he joined the wrong queue (or something similar). Changed days indeed.
His early work was utter genius, The Crucifixion for example.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WgXPBDrd8s&t=...
He also played in The Humblebums with Gerry Rafferty early on.
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